Friday, 30 November 2012

Mille Feuille

A thick layer of whipped cream and a layer of jam sandwiched between puff pastry all covered with sweet, gooey icing.

This is one of the best things I have discovered ever since I started living [and eating] in London.

And probably one of the worst as well, if you would take a second look at the first sentence.

Anyway, this is what Tesco calls it:

when it is actually Mille Feuille, but missing a layer.

An actual mille feuille from Patisserie Valerie

Mille Feuille, also known as Napoleon, is a French pastry dessert which looks like the one above but with another layer of pastry in the middle. Seems like Tesco just got lazy. But I'm not complaining, because it is still a delectable combination of cream, pastry, jam and icing.

There is no way to eat this without making a bit of a mess. Whether you slice or bite into the pastry, you will be greeted with whipped cream oozing out of the sides while the pastry stubbornly stays in one piece. I have not yet discovered the true technique of cutting into the mille feuille, but I will get it with, um, regular practice.

Everyone must try the mille feuille at least once in their life. Unless you're me, you'll probably find that once is enough – if otherwise, you'll be addicted to the guilt-inducing but extremely luxurious pastry dessert.